Ayia Napa: 10 interventions within the coastal state zone

10 interventions within the coastal state forest zone, the Audit Service of the Republic identifies in its annual report for the Department of Forests.

Specifically, according to what is mentioned in the report, 10 interventions were identified within the coastal state forest zone, in the Ayia Napa area.

Nine of them were challenged before 14.4.2006, the date on which the relevant Regulation for the prohibition of rental or other disposal of land within the coastal state forest land was passed.

As mentioned, the Department of Forests issued a license for use, with market rent, only in one of these cases, while for the rest, including the one caused after the adoption of the Regulation, it imposes an out-of-court fine annually, from 2013 onwards, which corresponds to the estimated market rent.

At the same time, the Audit Office, having its reservations about the legality of the issue, asked the Attorney General for legal advice on the matter.

The Attorney General, in his reply, stated that annual licenses cannot be issued and / or granted as this is explicitly prohibited by Regulation 12 of KDP 134/2012 and such interventions do not fall under the exceptions that can be justified for purposes public interest.

Therefore, the Department should take all measures for immediate termination and / or removal of the illegality and not be limited to out-of-court settlement and / or the imposition of an annual fine.

The Audit Office informed about its intention to substantiate criminal cases for termination / removal of the interventions.
However, in two cases, the Department again issued an out-of-court settlement in the amount of the market rent, for the year 2017.

Source: Cyprustimes